Three guns and more than £100,000 seized after armed officers stop car in Birmingham

West Midlands Police have recovered three guns and seized more than £100,000 after firearms officers stopped a car in Birmingham overnight as part of a major probe into organised crime in the city.

The weapons were recovered from an Audi S3 which was stopped at gunpoint by officers on Flaxley Road in Stechford at around 10.20pm yesterday (24 January)

The driver was stunned using a Taser by officers as he tried to flee the scene, where officers found a revolver loaded with three rounds, a 9mm pistol with a magazine containing nine rounds, and a shotgun in a bag in a car.

The 30-year-old driver was arrested on suspicion of firearms offences. Two other men, aged 17 and 19, were arrested for firearms offences in Shard End a short time later as part of the investigation. Around £105,000 in cash was recovered as part of searches of homes connected to the three arrests. All remain in custody today.

The arrests came after police officers received intelligence as part of a proactive investigation into organised crime and firearms in the city, the force confirmed.

“They form part of Operation Target, our combined effort to tackle serious and organised crime in the West Midlands.”

Det Ch Insp Ryan Chambers, from the West Midlands Police Major Crime Proactive Team, said: “To recover three live firearms in one stop is a great result, and has come as a result of information received from the community.

“We are absolutely committed to arresting and bringing to justice those involved in crime which cause the most harm to our neighbourhoods. Guns have such a significant impact on people’s lives when used in the hands of criminals, so seizing three is a fantastic result.”

According to West Midlands Police, Operation Target focuses on the most serious crimes – and includes the targeting of drug dealers, firearms, money laundering, organised immigration crime and the criminal and sexual exploitation of children.